Vehicle doors are usually mounted on each side of the vehicle for pivotal movement between open and closed positions with respect to a corresponding door opening. The doors are sized to permit ingress and egress of the vehicle's occupants, and are typically shaped to conform to the door opening and the styling of the vehicle body. In some vehicle designs the styling may be such that portions of the body proximate the door are not co-planar with the door, instead extending slightly outwardly of the door for aesthetic and/or functional purposes. Consequently, a recessed area is formed by the exterior surfaces of the door and the body. This recessed area tends to confront materials such as sand, salt and debris thrown up from the road. These materials can abrade, chip or wear away the finish of the body, detracting from the aesthetics of the vehicle and exposing the substrate of the body to the elements, eventually causing the substrate to degrade.
Current vehicle designs may attempt to protect the body from road-borne objects by applying a relatively thin sheet of adhesive-backed plastic to damage-prone portions of the body. However, the plastic sheets are subject to delamination, thus exposing the body to unsightly damage. Other vehicle designs may include a protective plastic coating material that is sprayed onto the body. While effective, sprayed-on coatings are labor-intensive to apply and add to the cost of the vehicle. Conventional door weather seals generally prevent outside elements from entering the interior of the vehicle and may prevent damage from road-borne materials in those areas covered by the seals. Unfortunately, conventional seals are shaped to conform to the shape of the door and do not extend much beyond that shaped envelope, merely filling a gap formed between the door and the door opening. There is a need for a simple, low-cost and durable way to protect portions of the body of a vehicle from damage caused by road-borne materials impacting areas proximate the door openings.